


I Am the Sun

by Untherius



Series: Dawn and Sky and Sun [4]
Category: Emberverse - S. M. Stirling, Howl Series - Diana Wynne Jones, Tangled (2010)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-05
Updated: 2013-02-05
Packaged: 2017-11-28 06:30:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/671369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Untherius/pseuds/Untherius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rapunzel has a problem...a BIG problem!  To meet it, she must bring the entire human race together for the single most ambitious undertaking in the history of Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Am the Sun

Corvallis  
June 23, CY 20, 2032 AD

The sun had just crested over the rim of Reser Stadium--which no one had apparently bothered to rename since the Change. The whole interior was bathed in full sunlight. That was precisely why King Eugene Fitzherbert had proposed late morning for that day's meeting. The downside was that he knew there would only be a couple of hours before lunch, which had the potential to compress things more than was warranted for such an important matter as what he and Queen Rapunzel were to present. But the only way Rapunzel would be able to interact with all those present would be if the entire stadium were in full sun, which had meant waiting a while. He made a note to arrange for some mirrors for the next meeting.

The place was packed. Normally, city meetings were held indoors, no thanks in part to western Oregon's fickle weather. Meetings were sometimes moved outdoors for various reasons, but even in June, rain was a distinct possibility. People from all over the Greater Northwest had come to take part in a discussion of what they'd been assured was a dire matter of life and death.

Dignitaries and populace were present from every major government in the region: Corvallis; MacKenzie; Bearkiller; CORA; Boise; New Deseret; Ingary; Corona; Rogue Valley; Cascadia Abyss; and even the Haida. Mount Angel had voluntarily joined Corona some years before, Warm Springs remained stubbornly isolationist, part of Pendleton had been forcibly assimilated by Corona for, as Crown Princess Sophia put it, “being pricks,” the other part having been taken by Boise, and most of the Free Cities of the Yakima had also gradually joined Corona once they'd seen the stark contrast between its current government under Rapunzel's and Eugene's leadership and its previous management under the Armingers.

“Well?” said General Peter Jones, who was serving as a moderator of sorts. He still held his position as official ambassador to Corona. As such, and as Rapunzel's many-greats grand-nephew, he was one of few people in any official capacity who had the right...or the guts...to be casual with the Fitzherberts.

Eugene looked up at the sun. “She'll be here,” he said.

After a few pregnant minutes, Rapunzel suddenly appeared beside Eugene. He started slightly. “You know,” he said, “I think it's going to take me some time to...” His voice trailed off. He pointed at a child in Rapunzel's arms. “Uh...I thought she was only a month old.”

“She is,” said Rapunzel.

“Then why does she look like she's over a year old?”

“She's an energy being, remember? They...apparently develop differently.”

“What have you been feeding her?”

“Plasma.”

“Plasma,” repeated Eugene flatly. “Like...blood plasma, or...?”

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. “Stellar plasma, of course. What else would I feed her?”

Eugene resisted the urge to face-palm and rolled his eyes instead. “What else indeed?”

“Besides, how many times do I have to tell you I don't _have_ blood?” She shook her head in amusement. “Here,” she said, holding the child toward him. “Hold her.”

Eugene smiled and took his daughter in his arms. “She's...light.”

“Not literally, no, but...” She giggled at Eugene's raised eyebrow. “Yes, I know what you mean, silly. She doesn't really have mass, you know? Just what I give her in order for you to interact with her. She'll learn to do it herself. In the meantime, just bond with our daughter.”

“Gladly,” he said, turning his attention to young Loraya. The girl wriggled and giggled as she gazed up at her father with her luminous green eyes.

Rapunzel took a step forward. “People of Earth!” A few chuckles floated around the stadium. It amused Rapunzel, especially since few yet knew that she'd become the sun. That would make what she was about to say a bit tricky. “Thank-you all for coming. Many of you have traveled a long way and have been waiting for the weather to cooperate, so I'll get right to the point. We have a problem!”

Her voice reverberated in a way that impressed Eugene. Most probably thought she was using magic to project it. Perhaps she was. There were still so many things he didn't know about what she could do as the sun.

“Well, two problems,” continued Rapunzel. “The first directly impacts our ability to deal with the second. As many of you know, the Church Universal and Triumphant continues to be a thorn in our collective backsides. They've been compared to a post-Shift version of the Taliban and I'm not altogether certain I disagree. Regardless, they're distracting at best and we don't need that. I'm this close to simply thumping them.”

Eugene wondered if she could really do that. There was a day when she could have easily smote every one of them from a hundred miles away. But her abilities had changed dramatically when she'd ascended.

“If they actually succeed...succeed in their quest to eliminate technology...then we are well and truly hosed!”

“We learned how to do things the old-tech way,” said a man from the crowd. “We can do it again.” There were murmurs of assent.

“Of that I have no doubt. But the problem we face is orders of magnitude greater than that!” She turned and took little Loraya from Eugene and then turned back to the crowd. “A short time ago, my husband and I created this precious little life.” She stepped forward a few paces, the child wriggling happily in her mother's arms.

“She's gorgeous!” said Peter.

“Thank-you.”

“She's...glowing,” said another.

“She...does that.” Rapunzel raised her voice once more to address the entire assembly. “Normally, the birth of a child is cause for great celebration. And indeed our hearts rejoiced! Unfortunately, unbeknownst to us, not all are happy about little Loraya here.” She paused to let that sink in.

“There is an entire population of many billions who strongly believe that my husband, a human, and myself, a nonhuman, should never...come together...let alone produce offspring. For that reason, and that reason alone, we have all become targets.”

“What?!” said a woman. “But she's adorable!”

“Who would hate a baby?” said a man.

“And what business is it of anyone else's who you sleep with?” said another woman.

Murmurs drifted through the crowd. “Order!” barked Edward Finney, pounding a gavel against its block. “Order!” That was one reason he preferred indoor meetings. Sounds were too easily lost outdoors and he had to use a large metal hammer and a piece of sheet metal as it was. He was rapidly considering using a gong.

Rapunzel let the voices die down before she continued. “By now, you all know that we are not alone in the Universe. Far away, from across the void of space, I'm being watched. I am the first of my kind and so I am watched. The other stars of our galaxy are...unhappy, but willing to accept it. Those of the Andromeda Galaxy, however, are absolutely furious. They have declared war upon us and mean to wipe us out of the heavens!”

“Stars?” said Peter. “You mean...other aliens?”

“No. I mean _stars_.”

“But stars are huge balls of burning gas.”

“Mostly, yes. But what Earth astronomy doesn't know is that within each star resides an energy being and that being drives the star at least as much as do the suggestions of physics. The stars of Andromeda are livid and they're on their way here to obliterate us.”

“Um,” said another councilman, “we've appreciated what you and your family have done for regional peace, let alone the other advancements you've introduced, so I mean no offense. But couldn't you and your husband and your baby just...Bifrost somewhere else?”

“No,” said Rapunzel simply. “It's not that simple. For one thing, as far as Andromeda is concerned, you're all guilty by association. It's unfair and it's wrong and if I could leave again and take you all out of harm's way, I would. For another thing, they've threatened my family and you all know how irritable that makes me. For a third, if I leave, every last living thing on this planet will die.”

“What?” said the man. “Are you threatening us?”

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. “Don't be ridiculous! I've already sacrificed myself for all of you and I'd do it again if it would help. But that's not an option this time.”

“Then...” The man's voice broke off as Rapunzel turned around and handed her daughter back to her father.

Rapunzel took a few steps away from him before throwing her arms wide. She began to glow, softly at first, then more and more brightly until no one but her own family could look at her.

“I am the sun!” she proclaimed, her voice reverberating and throbbing with a power Eugene could feel in more than just his body. “I'm the new day begun! I bring you the morning, for I am the sun! I hold back the night and I open the sky! I give light to the world and sight to your eyes! From the first of all time until time is undone, for ever and ever and ever and ever, for I am the dawn and the sky and the sun! I am one with the One and I am the Dawn!”

The stadium shook under the power of her words. Eugene was unsure how she did that, but he figured it had something to do with her stellar identity. He hoped that was enough to convince everyone present that she was telling the truth. For that matter, there were still days he himself thought he might be dreaming it.

The light emanating from Rapunzel faded. “That,” she said, her voice still strongly undulating, “is why I cannot leave. I took Sol's place as your sun. My light makes your life possible.”

“Mother,” said Sophia, “couldn't...one of us...take your place?”

Rapunzel's eyes widened as she turned toward her daughter. “Sophia, no...don't. You have no idea what you're saying. And even if you did, I can't ask anyone to do that. I won't.”

She turned back to the crowd. “No, we're all in this together. Andromeda and its associated galaxies are on their way to extinguish us.”

“But that'll take billions of years,” said a man.

“Here's the situation. Not long ago, Andromeda was approaching us at some two hundred fifty thousand miles per hour. Now it's hurtling toward us at super-relativistic speeds. They'll be here in twenty years...thirty at most. Now, the stars of the Milky Way are unhappy with me and while it's an understatement to say that it's silly, I can't say I blame them for feeling like they've been pulled into what constitutes an interstellar tantrum. But they consider me one of their own, so they'll defend us. Even now, the whole galaxy is reorienting itself to do just that.

“But we must not, cannot, and will not simply allow them to fight that fight entirely on their own. Milky Way has three hundred and seventy-eight billion stars. We also have a few smaller elliptical galaxies in our influence, all on our side, and supplying an additional fifty billion stars.

“Andromeda, on the other hand, has one _trillion_ stars. That galaxy also has several other companion galaxies within its sphere of influence, all small ellipticals, and all siding with Andromeda, adding another two hundred fifty million stars to that number. The Triangulum Galaxy has another forty-three billion stars, but has not yet taken sides.

“Our side has some six point one times ten to the twelfth Rapunzel masses versus them at eight point two times ten to the eleventh Rapunzel masses.”

“What?” said Peter. “What's a Rapunzel mass?”

“Uh...well, it used to be solar masses. Look, the bottom line is that we are hopelessly, hilariously, out-gunned. We have exactly two choices. We can sit here on our hands, in which case every last one of us will die. Or, we can rise up, grab our own destiny by its lips and kick their sunspots!”

“Uh...” said Peter.

“Peter, dear,” said Rapunzel indulgently, “stars don't have rear ends.” She returned her attention to the assembly in general. “But we _must_ do it by the metaphorical book. This will be the greatest war either of our worlds has ever known. It will dwarf every conflict in the histories of both worlds combined! It will span two, possibly three, centuries. You, your children, their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etcetera, will be directly involved. _That_ is why I need all hands on deck, as it were.”

“I'm still not sure I understand the problem,” said Councilman Finney.

Rapunzel sighed. “Mister Finney, you're a smart man, so I'll overlook that. Stars are incredibly powerful. Few of you have much concept of what we can do. Most of the time, we just hang here and shine. But when we decide to do things...well, it can be downright terrifying. Various ancient peoples of Earth once worshiped Sol and for good reason. Trust me, though, when I say that the stars of Andromeda can and will reduce us all to so much dust and gas.”

“So,” said Peter, “just what, exactly, are we supposed to do, sit here and pray?”

Rapunzel frowned at Peter. “Seriously? You really think I called an international conference _just_ to tell everyone that the sky is falling, so to speak? I could have done _that_ just by appearing to people and saying it.

“No, what we need is preparation...a _lot_ of preparation. What I'm about to require of you will strain credulity most severely. We do not, repeat, _not_ get to say 'can't.' Saying 'can't' will get us all killed. As of right now, this is everyone's highest priority.

“I need anyone and everyone who has any experience in piloting anything that flies and sailing anything that floats. I also need everyone with any experience in engineering, metallurgy, fabrication, machining, astrophysics, aerospace, astronomy, and computer programming. And that's for starters. Yes, yes, I know computers don't work here, but just bear with me and I'll get to that. It doesn't matter what you're doing now...farmer, soldier, administrator, merchant. You are now needed in your former capacities and those take precedence. You'll initially be responsible for training others. While you do that, the Universities of Corona, Ingary, and Corvallis and I will work together designing, and later building, what we need.”

She turned to Philip Swift and his wife Syrena, both of whom reclined in a pair of horse troughs nearby. “Your Majesties,” she said, nodding her head slightly, “your people are accustomed to operating three-dimensionally in a near-zero-gravity environment. You're all going to be needed up there.” She pointed at the sky. “You may consider...assimilating...more humans pursuant to later discussion on the subject.” She turned back to the crowd. “And I'm going to need volunteers for that, too.”

“Wait,” said a councilwoman, “you think you can just show up and tell us what to do while you do what...just shine?”

Rapunzel handed her daughter back to Eugene and rounded on the woman. She glared and began glowing red. Rapunzel stalked in that woman's direction, dark flames and sun flares leaping off of her skin. “You don't _seriously_ think,” said Rapunzel darkly, pronouncing every word carefully, a deep, sonorous growl underlying her normally pleasant voice, “that I intend to hang here and twiddle my metaphorical thumbs while you people do all the work, do you?” Her voice vibrated so much, the ground shook. “If so, then you're out of what's left of what passes for your mind!” She nearly shrieked the final words and the woman looked like she was about to faint.  
Eugene hadn't felt anything like that since the last time he was within a mile of a lightning strike. He fervently prayed no one in the audience was prone to heart palpitations.

“That goes for the rest of you!” Rapunzel's visage returned to normal, though she retained a golden glow. “And if you must know, I'm already working on the problem. Remember, I am the sun! I don't sleep. I don't rest. I don't take breaks. I don't even eat! While _you're_ doing all those things, _I'll_ be coordinating with people on the other side of the planet. And that's not all!

“I've already launched tens of millions of tons of the ingarium I collected while I was in the remains of the Krakanen System. That ingarium is on a trajectory to enter into high Earth orbit in a couple of weeks whereupon it will form a ring around the planet. You will then pull it out of orbit as needed.

“I'm also actively fusing aluminum, titanium, and several other of the heavier elements we'll need. I've nudged every short-period comet into a collision course with Mars.”

“Mars?” said Peter. “Why Mars?”

Rapunzel turned to Howl Jenkins, who'd been standing quietly behind Eugene. “Master Howl,” she said, “how soon can you reconfigure the main Portland Industrial Bifrost Device for terraforming?”

“Uh...” said Howl, “...twelve months?”

“You have three,” said Rapunzel.

“What?” said Howl.

“You want to terraform Mars?” said Peter.

“Not want,” said Rapunzel, “ _going_ to. We need it for a shipyard. Hence the extra water from the comets. I've also pulled Ganymede and Callisto away from Jupiter. We'll use their water for the terraforming. I can also fuse more Oxygen. Whatever you need, let me know, and you'll have it.”

“You're...serious,” said the councilwoman, apparently having recovered.

Rapunzel glared at her again. “Of _course_ I'm serious!” she bellowed, her voice deafening. “Do I _look_ like I'm joking?!” The ground shook some more and Eugene saw Howl jiggle a finger in his ear. She calmed herself, then added, “Trevelin, Panama, and the Aztecs are already onboard.”

“Really?” said Peter. “Why?”

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. “We left some of our family in Trevelin when we left. They're in control of a fairly large region down there. So they trust me and they're with me.

“The Panamanians feel they still owe me for liberating them from an evil dictator. They're still more or less in the Dark Ages, as it were, but they're committed to helping in any way they can.”

“And the Aztecs?” said Peter after Rapunzel had paused.

Rapunzel fidgeted. “It's...uh...well, it's a little embarrassing.” At Peter's raised eyebrow, she sighed and continued. “Alright, fine. After the Shift, they resurrected part of their ancient Sun God religion. When I told them I'm the sun...and gave them a little demonstration...they became convinced that I'm the True Fifth Sun. Admittedly, that's more or less true since I _did_ literally, physically replace the previous sun.”

She started to squirm a little and Peter's eyebrow rose higher. “And, yes, they're worshiping me as the Sun Goddess. The baby threw them off a little, but they'll still do whatever I tell them to do. And if...” She broke off and looked slightly upward as though considering something. “Oh, good heavens,” she grumbled. “They're trying to sacrifice someone. I _told_ them no more human sacrifices! Hold that thought. I'll be right back.” She vanished.

Eugene stood there gawking, still holding his infant energy daughter. A few minutes later, Rapunzel reappeared right where she'd been standing. “I'm sorry about that,” she said. “I think I've put the fear of...uh...me into them. They shouldn't try that again.”

“Ha!” said Eugene triumphantly. Rapunzel turned to see him with his arms folded across his chest—which was awkward-looking what with the baby--and grinning. “I _knew_ it! _You're_ a goddess,” he said teasingly, pointing a finger at her. “Admit it.”

“Eugene,” she said quietly, “not now, please.”

Peter gawked. “I'm related to a goddess?!”

Rapunzel face-palmed. “Look! We can argue over the deity thing later. But we have work to do and there is _zero_ margin for error! Andromeda will be here in two decades, maybe three. It is _imperative_ that we be part of the first engagement. It's very important that we make a show of support, let the other stars know that we stand with them, and that we're not going to just sit here and let them sacrifice themselves for us.”

“How are we going to...uh...engage suns?” said Edward.

“Remember what I said about Mars? About it being a shipyard?”

“What, exactly,” said Peter, “are we going to be building?”

“Starships.”

“Really?!”

“Really.”

“ _YES!_ ” Peter threw his arms into the air in the universal gesture of triumph.

“And orbital defense platforms.”

“This is so cool.”

“General Jones,” said the councilwoman, “with all due respect, are you insane?”

“No,” said Peter, raising the Vulcan sign for 'live long and prosper,' “just enthusiastic!”

“And we need as much of that as we can possibly muster,” said Rapunzel. “Furthermore, we have to start today. In case anyone's thinking it, we don't have time to quibble around with your infernal committees. While I admire your participatory democracy and while I largely agree with it in principle, it's cumbersome. In fact, it's enough to get us killed.

“We all need to be on the same page. We need structure, efficiency, and standardization. To that end, I move that I be recognized as the sole authority in this matter.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” said the councilwoman. “So this is a ploy to conquer Earth? I think I speak for everyone here when I tell you to go...”

Rapunzel flared up, stellar prominences looping off of her and soaring up into the sky. Streamers of something gassy-looking surged out of her to join the streamers. “ _SHUT...IT!!!_ ” she roared, her voice shaking the ground so violently, Eugene nearly fell over.

“I will,” said Rapunzel, more quietly, but still with enough force that everyone in the stadium could literally feel it, “if I must, stop the rotation of Earth. That would make everyone on the other side very unhappy. And I still have appointments to keep with Hawaii, Alaska, Tazmania, Great Britain, and everywhere in between. You're wasting time...mine, yours, and theirs! Now, pry the proverbial gherkin out of your backside and think!”

She turned her attention to the crowd. “What I need is action, _not_ reaction. And this is a lot to digest. Therefore, I'm prepared to give those of you who _really_ need it a week to sleep on it, as it were. In the meantime, I'll be holding meetings with the other nations of Earth. I'll also continue production of the various heavier metals needed for the system's defense.”

Queen Lonyali of Ingary stood up and took two steps forward. “Sirana,” your Majesty, she said. “Onlar namiasshamori sumoasurlor molospreren. Nasoas asmonu tillors. Muthanlosalem womutireas losprer kamen. NaIngary toso!” My people lost our world once. Yours has become our new one. We'll be damned if we allow it to be destroyed as well. Ingary is with you!

Rapunzel bobbed her head in acknowledgment. “Thank-you, your Majesty.”

“There's another thing,” said Edward. “How are we going to fund all of that?”

“That will be up to each government. For now, that shouldn't be much of a burden. As things heat up, so to speak, that can be expected to change. Until then, we're mainly in planning and training mode.” She turned to Eugene. “Eugene, I'd like to create a Ministry of Homeworld Defense. Its sole role will be dealing with our extraterrestrial operations. I'll discuss details later, but I'd like you to start thinking about organization and personnel.”

“Is there anything else?” said Edward.

“Yes. Pluto's a planet.”

“Um,” said Peter, “not to split hairs or anything, but the International Astronomical Union reclassified it.”

“First,” said Rapunzel, “the IAU no longer exists. Second, _I'm_ the sun, it's _my_ satellite, and that makes _me_ the final authority on the subject...meaning I can call it whatever I want. So if I say it's a planet, then it's a planet.” She crossed her arms defiantly as if to punctuate her claim.

“But the Kuiper Belt...”

“Will be mined,” interrupted Rapunzel.

“Are you, uh, planning to mine the _whole_ solar system?”

“Rapunzel System.”

“What?” said Edward.

“Star systems are always named after their stars, are they not?”

“Well, yes, but...”

“What's my name?”

“Uh...Rapunzel.”

“And whose system is this?”

Edward hestiated.

“It's mine,” continued Rapunzel. “And that makes it...?” she prompted.

Peter chuckled. “The Rapunzel System?”

“Yes!” said Rapunzel cheerily.

“Oh,” said Edward, “you have _got_ to be kidding me.”

“Why?” said Rapunzel. “I'm the sun in this system. My name is Rapunzel. Therefore, it's the Rapunzel System. What's the problem?”

“Oh, good God,” said Edward, raising a hand to his forehead.

“Just,” said Peter, changing the subject, “how many of these starships and platforms and whatnot do you want us to build?”

“A great many. I want at least fifty thousand involved in the first engagement.”

“Fifty... _thousand_?” said Edward. “We're going to build fifty _thousand_ starships when we could barely launch a space shuttle _before_ the Change?”

“Yes. And several hundred orbital defense platforms. We'll also need means and equipment to move other inhabited worlds out of harm's way. And it's not just you. It's me, too, remember? I'm working twenty-four seven. And believe me, I can generate more output in one hour than all of Earth's combined industrial production over the entire twentieth century.”

“Really?” said Peter.

“Of course!” she said cheerily. “I _am_ the sun, after all. What do you think I do all day? I can also mix any alloy you need. But we'll get to that later. In the meantime, I think we all have work to do.”

At first, no one else moved.

“Don't you...have somewhere else to be?” said Edward.

“Not yet,” said Rapunzel.

“But...what about all that about being the sun?”

“What about it?”

Edward pointed upward.

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. “I came back here and took Sol's place so that I could be with my people.” She gestured to Eugene, Sophia, and company. “Why would I want to go somewhere else just to be going somewhere else? Besides, I'm actively watching half the globe right now anyway.”

“Just half?”

“Sometimes I can watch all of it at once if the moon's in the right position. Otherwise, the dark side is hidden from my sight.” Again, nobody else moved. “Don't we all have things to do?” she said insistently. That set people into motion.

Peter approached as Rapunzel took little Loraya from her father.

“She really is gorgeous,” said Peter, wiggling one of Lorya's little hands. “If you're the sun, then how...? Or do I really not want to know?”

“She's an energy being,” said Rapunzel.

“Whoa. Then how's she solid?”

“Same way I am. It's kind of complicated. It has to do with energy manipulation.”

“And...you can really do all those things you said?”

“Of course! I'm doing it even as we speak. I have phenomenal cosmic power now.”

“I thought you had that already,” said Eugene.

Rapunzel giggled. “No, dearest, we only thought I did. I only had _semi_ -phenomenal, _nearly_ -cosmic power. It's actually quite frightening what I can do now.”

Eugene grinned. “And I'm married to you and you've born my children.”

Rapunzel tittered. “Oh, Eugene, you're a treasure. And I'm going to need _you_ to keep me from getting a swelled...uh...head.”

“But you don't actually have...”

“I meant metaphorically!”

“I knew that. I was just teasing.”

Rapunzel promptly grabbed Eugene and pulled him down for a kiss. “Thank-you for keeping me grounded, dearest. And I mean that. And now,” she glanced down at Loraya, “we also have a daughter to raise.”

“That we do.” He held out an arm, Rapunzel took it, and together they strolled off across the field.


End file.
